Night in Paradise (2020), directed by Park Hoon-jung
A review of Night in Paradise / 낙원의 밤 (2020), directed by Park Hoon-jung
I’m going to start this review off by saying wow, this is such a sad movie. Judging from the title alone, I thought it would’ve been much happier than it actually was, but it wasn’t. The acting was solid, the story was pretty good, and while it lagged at times, it made up for it in the overall execution.
I feel like I’m giving away so much! But there are so many various components to this movie that come together to make it not like most other gangster films that I’ve seen. Set in Seoul and on the beautiful island of Jeju, we never would’ve thought these were the two settings. Jeju-do is a beautiful island, but it was scrubbed clean for this film to sterilize it into something that fit the tone.
Anyways, enough blabbering. Let’s begin this review.
Content
From the very beginning of this movie, we’re given subtle warnings about what’s the come from the coloring alone. It’s dark and drab, reminiscent of the Korean gangster films from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Our characters often are in the pouring rain or with overcast clouds above, and, when in Seoul, only seen during the night. Combined with the sad, ominous music throughout, we learn that this lifestyle is hard, full of betrayal and backstabbers. Even on peaceful, serene Jeju, one cannot escape fate.
Our main character in this film is Park Tae-gu, who is offered the chance to betray his gang for a rival gang. When he respectfully declines this offer, his sister and niece are murdered in a staged car accident, leaving Tae-gu grieving. In the midst of his anger, he murders the rival gang’s boss in a sauna, leaving him on the run. His boss sends him to Jeju, where he meets Jae-yeon, a girl dying of a terminal illness. But even Tae-gu cannot escape betrayal as he tries to flee to Russia, sending him down a spiraling path.
Full of action, great shots and cinematography, we are reminded that life isn’t always happy, even where there are bright spots. It teaches us to enjoy the time left as we linger in the nostalgia for those gone. I found it to be quite powerful, something that I haven’t seen from a gangster film in awhile. I used to be very into older Korean cinema—older as in something I’ve been alive for. I was born in 2000—and this evokes that sense that came with the 2000s films I used to watch.
This is so minor but there are so many good shots of food throughout. It’s not a lot of food shots, but when one mobster boss was slurping up his jjajangmyeon, I knew I had to have some as I watched this. So I got up and cooked some black bean noodles for myself with leftover red onion and potatoes I had, then slurped on my own as I watched. Which was a mistake, because the movie got really sad and slightly gory with the fake blood and I lost my appetite.
Overall Thoughts
I enjoyed this film a lot! It really plays with your emotions and brings back an era in Korean film that we haven’t seen in a hot minute. There’s a good amount of action and gore for a crime ganger film, and it has a solid storyline that isn’t too out there nor unrealistic. All in all, it’s a solid film worth a Friday night watch.
